Teat-cup for



c. M. ANDERSON. TEM cuP Fos mLmNG'MA'cHmEs.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY L2. 1917.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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' Attorney. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

CHARLES M. ANDERSON, 0F WATERLOO, IOWA.

TEAT-CUP FOR IVIILKING-MACHINES.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application led July 12, 1917. Serial No. 180,119.

' provement consists in constructing a resilient teat-cup in such a manner as to most efhciently operate in the milking operation by exercising under the combined actions of interior air-suction and exterior air-pressure a stripping of the inclosed teat simulating the natural method.

This object 1 have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of an elastic teatcup and its rigid housing; Fig..2 is an elevation, in partial section, of the same structures, showing in full and in dottedv -lines different positions of the resilient cup;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the teat-receiving end of said device; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the resilient cup alone on the line 4 4 of said Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse section of both said cup and its housing taken on the line 5 5 of said Fig. 2, showing the cup deflated, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same parts taken on the line 6 6 of said Fig. 2, showing the cup deflated at a place farther from its teat-receiving end.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My improved resilient teat-cup 6 is of lengthened conical form with relatively thin walls except as hereinafter mentioned. The cup 6 is contained within a rigid housing 1 of somewhat larger interior diameter and which has an inlet-tube 8 used to convey compressed air thereinto from an air-compressing apparatus not shown.

The wider end of said housing has an outer integral annulus 2 exteriorly-threaded to receive a ring-nut 3, the latter having an inwardly-directed flange adapted to clam between itself and said annulus a widene inverted terminal ring on the teat-receiving end of the inclosed cup 6. A conical hollow mouth-piece or liner 5 is mounted ittingly within the opposite narrowed end of the teat-cup, extending outwardly therefrom andV having exterior threads on its outer portion to receive an interiorly-threaded .stem 4, the latter adapted to have an end of an elastic hose or tube slipped over it. When screwed upon the liner 5, the widened end of the stem 4 engages the adjacent end of the housing 1, drawing the conical part of said liner against the surrounding end portion of the teat-cup to firmly compress it against the housing and thus securing all said parts rmly together.

'lhe teat-cup 6 is constructed with a plurality7 of longitudinally arranged thickened portions or ribs 7 'separated by the thinner intermediate parts of the cup walls, which Y Y as shown where three Vsuch ribs are employed gives the body of the cup a triangular crosssection. The concavities or' outer troughs of the ribs 7 as shown in Fig. 1, supply spaces between Vthe cup 6 and thehousing 1 at these locations which gradually widen outwardly toward the teat-receiving end of the cup. Because of this, when air under compression is introduced through the inlettube 8 into said interspace, the teat-receiving end ofthe cup will be collapsed first. This action is displayed in said Fig. 2, where the full lines show the first part of the action where the teat-receiving end of the cup is first collapsed, and where the dotted lines depict Vthe continued action of the compressed air in successively collapsing the v Vand suction of a calfs mouth and jaws, and

thoroughly strips the teat with a minimum of discomfort to the animal. When three ribs 7 are used, neither is directly opposed to another, but all-of them draw together to compressively surround the teat, the intermediate thinner portions of the teat-cup walls yielding as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby the teat is compressed from different directions beginning near the udder, the suction derived from an air-pump connected to the stem 4 exhausting the air from said cup and withdrawing the milk from the teat. The teat-receiving end of the teat-cup 6 is inverted outwardly, and forms a resilient raised hollow annulus part extending beyond the metal clamping-ring 3. Because oi this, no metal comes into direct contact with either the teat or the udder of an animal, which in very cold weather, is much conducive to the animals comfort.

It should be noticed that the part l as a nut causes the conical receiver 5 to tightly clamp the teat-cup between itself and the housing l, forming an air-tight joint. The whole hollow of the teat-cup and the communicating receiver 5 thug presents a tight structure, where no leakage can occur, and which renders'the device easily Vcleaned'and sanitary.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and Vdesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A teat-cup of elastic material, shaped with three like broad relatively thick longifrom its medial part toward the abutting wall portions on either side, to collapse with a triorin cross-section.

Signed at lVaterloo, Iowa, this 25th day of June, 1917.

CHARLES M. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by ddrssngthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

